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North Carolina Residents on COVID-19:
Views of the economy, healthcare, and safety
during the coronavirus outbreak
Produced in partnership with
The Charlotte Observer, The Durham Herald-Sun & The Raleigh News & Observer
Survey of N.C. Residents
June 24-25th, 2020
Table of Contents
About This Survey ........................................................................................................................ 2
Topline Results .............................................................................................................................. 3
ECONOMY .................................................................................................................................... 3
HEALTHCARE ............................................................................................................................... 4
COVID-19 ..................................................................................................................................... 5
DEMOGRAPHICS .......................................................................................................................... 8
Crosstabulations ......................................................................................................................... 10
ECONOMY .................................................................................................................................. 10
HEALTHCARE ............................................................................................................................. 15
COVID-19 ................................................................................................................................... 18
Methodological Information ...................................................................................................... 35
Weighting Information ............................................................................................................... 36
Frequently Asked Questions ...................................................................................................... 37
About The Elon University Poll ................................................................................................. 38
2
About This Survey
The Elon University Poll conducted a representative online survey of 1,410 adult North Carolina
residents from June 24-25th, 2020. The results have a credibility interval of +/- 2.8 percentage
points.
This survey’s questionnaire was developed with the goal of answering two questions. First, what
do North Carolinians think about several important aspects of the COVID-19 response in the
state? Second, what are North Carolinians thinking about healthcare and the economy, two major
issues shaped by the pandemic? For highlights of key findings about this survey, see the press
release associated with this report.
This survey repeated questions about the economy and health care that we asked in a February
2020 survey of North Carolina registered voters. The sample in this survey reflects the larger
population of residents rather than the registered voters alone, making direct comparisons of
change imperfect. However, some attitudinal changes are considerably larger than the
differences typically found in resident versus voter samples. For example, this June 2020 survey
found 38% of residents grading the national economy as a “D” or “F” compared to 15% of
registered voters in February 2020. Similarly, the 55% of respondents in June 2020 perceived the
economy as having gotten worse since 2017 compared to 22% in February. We did not find
changes of similar magnitude in our health care questions.
We also repeated several COVID-19 questions from our March 2020 survey of North Carolina
residents. Notably, responses in June suggest a decline in worries about COVID-19 from our
March survey. Some changes in opinion for these questions include:
• “I’m worried about the impact of coronavirus on my personal financial situation.”
o (Agree %) March – 74%, June – 59%
• “I’m worried about developing severe illness from coronavirus.”
o (Agree %) March – 57%, June – 53%
• “I’m worried about spreading coronavirus to others.”
o (Agree %) March – 59%, June – 50%
Unless otherwise noted, results reported below are percentages (%) and sample sizes (N).
3
Topline Results
Economy
“What letter grade would you give the current national economy?”
% N
A 5 68
B 18 248
C 40 567
D 25 347
F 13 179
Total 100 1409
“Since 2017, would you say that the nation's economy has gotten better, stayed about the same,
or gotten worse?”
% N
Better 31 439
Same 15 207
Worse 54 762
Total 100 1409
“What about your own financial situation--since 2017, would you say it has gotten better, stayed
about the same, or gotten worse?”
% N
Better 34 480
Same 40 556
Worse 26 371
Total 100 1408
4
“Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, has your personal financial
situation gotten better, stayed about the same, or gotten worse?”
% N
Better 10 134
Same 55 771
Worse 36 504
Total 100 1409
“When it comes to the economy, are you generally closer to the Democratic or Republican
Party?”
% N
Democratic Party 38 533
Republican Party 41 579
Neither 21 297
Total 100 1409
Healthcare
“What letter grade would you give the U.S. healthcare system?”
% N
A 7 92
B 25 355
C 37 524
D 20 277
F 12 163
Total 100 1410
“When it comes to paying for healthcare in the United States, should the government be more
involved, less involved or is the government involved about the right amount already?”
% N
More involved 52 733
Less involved 28 393
About the right amount 20 281
Total 100 1407
5
“When it comes to healthcare, are you generally closer to the Democratic or Republican Party?”
% N
Democratic Party 40 566
Republican Party 36 508
Neither 24 335
Total 100 1409
COVID-19
“Have you personally known someone who contracted coronavirus?”
% N
Yes 31 442
No 69 967
Total 100 1409
“When it comes to K-12 public schools, North Carolina leaders are considering several options
for Fall 2020. Which of the following comes closest to what you think should happen in the fall?
• Students returning to school full-time, with precautions in place
• Students staying home part-time, to space them out in classrooms and buildings
• Students staying home full-time, with online learning”
% N
Returning to school full-time 34 471
Staying home part-time 38 531
Staying home full-time 29 401
Total 100 1403
“Do you have a child or grandchild in North Carolina K-12 public schools?” 1
% N
Yes 39 545
No 61 854
Total 100 1399
1 This question was asked for the purposes of crosstabs in next section of the report.
6
“How often do you wear a mask when you go into public buildings, such as grocery stores and
gas stations?”
% N
Never 11 158
Sometimes 16 218
About half the time 8 119
Most of the time 19 260
Always 46 653
Total 100 1408
“Would you support or oppose the North Carolina state government requiring people to wear
masks in public?” 2
% N
Support 74 1035
Oppose 27 372
Total 100 1407
“In your opinion, has social distancing helped to slow the spread of coronavirus in North
Carolina?”
% N
Has slowed the spread 63 879
Has not made much difference 21 300
Has not slowed the spread 16 229
Total 100 1407
2 During data collection, Governor Roy Cooper announced a statewide mask order.
7
“Overall, would you say the state of North Carolina’s rules and restrictions around coronavirus
have been too restrictive, not restrictive enough or about right?”
% N
Too restrictive 21 290
Not restrictive enough 46 649
About right 33 470
Total 100 1409
“How should major sporting events like college or professional basketball and football be held
for the rest of 2020? They should be held…”
% N
As normal 12 173
With restrictions for fans, such as social distancing and
masks
37 524
Without any fans in attendance 29 401
Not at all 22 309
Total 100 1406
“What letter grade would you give Governor Roy Cooper for his handling of the coronavirus
pandemic in North Carolina?”
% N
A 18 257
B 33 459
C 25 349
D 12 162
F 13 182
Total 100 1408
“What letter grade would you give President Donald Trump for his handling of the coronavirus
pandemic in the United States?”
% N
A 16 230
B 20 280
C 13 182
D 12 166
F 39 548
Total 100 1407
8
“Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. It's okay if
you're not sure. We are interested in people's quick reactions.”
Agree Disagree Not sure
“I’m worried about the impact of coronavirus on my
personal financial situation.”
59
(829)
30
(415)
11
(160)
“I’m worried about developing severe illness from
coronavirus.”
53
(742)
34
(478)
13
(179)
“I’m worried about spreading coronavirus to others.”
50
(693)
38
(536)
12
(172)
“I‘m worried about a family member developing severe
illness from coronavirus.”
69
(970)
22
(303)
9
(127)
“In the last two weeks, I’ve avoided going places and
doing things I normally would because of my concerns
about coronavirus.”
63
(887)
32
(453)
5
(65)
“I expect coronavirus cases to increase in the fall.”
61
(850)
16
(222)
24
(330)
“In the last two weeks, I’ve avoided spending time with
people I care about because of my concerns about
coronavirus.”
52
(727)
41
(580)
7
(101)
“I am less likely to go on vacation this summer because
of coronavirus.”
67
(935)
24
(338)
10
(133)
Demographics 3
County Density 4
% N
Rural 39 555
Suburban 25 354
Urban 36 501
3 Some demographic response options were collapsed for reporting purposes.
4 County type was determined according to classifications created by the NC Rural Center.
9
Age
% N
18 to 24 13 178
25 to 44 34 477
45 to 64 34 481
65+ 20 275
Gender
% N
Male 48 677
Female 52 733
Race
% N
White 67 945
Black 21 296
Other 12 169
Ethnicity
% N
Non-hispanic 91 1283
Hispanic 9 127
Education
% N
Less than Bachelors 70 987
Bachelors or Higher 30 423
Party Identification
% N
Republican 33 466
Neither 33 469
Democrat 34 473
10
Crosstabulations 5
Economy
What letter grade would you give the current national economy?
A B C D F
Republican 7 28 44 14 6
Neither 2 18 43 26 11
Democrat 5 7 34 34 21
Male 7 23 38 21 10
Female 2 12 42 28 15
18 to 24 12 22 45 14 7
25 to 44 7 15 40 24 14
45 to 64 2 16 41 28 13
65+ 1 22 36 27 14
Rural 5 20 44 20 10
Suburban 5 15 36 31 14
Urban 5 17 39 25 14
White 3 21 42 25 10
Black 7 9 34 27 23
Other race 14 15 43 19 9
Total 5 18 40 25 13
5 Numbers reflect row percentages. Caution is encouraged when interpreting differences in the
crosstabulations. Sub-group sample sizes are smaller, and therefore the credibility intervals for
these estimates are wider. Due to weights and rounding, row percentages do not always sum to
100.
11
Since 2017, would you say that the nation's economy has gotten better, stayed about the same, or
gotten worse?
Better Same Worse
Republican 54 14 32
Neither 30 16 54
Democrat 10 14 76
Male 38 16 46
Female 25 14 61
18 to 24 20 23 57
25 to 44 26 17 57
45 to 64 34 14 52
65+ 41 7 52
Rural 34 14 52
Suburban 31 18 51
Urban 28 13 59
White 38 13 49
Black 10 19 71
Other race 31 18 51
Total 31 15 54
12
What about your own financial situation--since 2017, would you say it has gotten better, stayed
about the same, or gotten worse?
Better Same Worse
Republican 48 36 16
Neither 32 40 28
Democrat 23 42 35
Male 40 37 23
Female 29 41 30
18 to 24 36 40 24
25 to 44 38 35 28
45 to 64 34 38 28
65+ 26 50 23
Rural 36 39 26
Suburban 29 46 25
Urban 36 36 28
White 36 41 24
Black 27 36 37
Other race 38 39 23
Total 34 40 26
13
Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, has your personal financial
situation gotten better, stayed about the same, or gotten worse?
Better Same Worse
Republican 10 63 27
Neither 10 48 42
Democrat 9 54 37
Male 11 55 34
Female 8 54 38
18 to 24 16 43 42
25 to 44 12 50 38
45 to 64 6 57 37
65+ 7 67 26
Rural 9 56 35
Suburban 8 53 39
Urban 11 55 34
White 8 58 33
Black 12 47 41
Other race 14 48 39
Total 10 55 36
14
When it comes to the economy, are you generally closer to the Democratic or Republican Party?
Democratic
Party
Republican
Party
Neither
Republican 2 95 3
Neither 17 26 57
Democrat 93 3 4
Male 34 46 20
Female 41 36 22
18 to 24 45 27 29
25 to 44 38 35 26
45 to 64 37 46 17
65+ 34 52 13
Rural 32 47 21
Suburban 36 42 22
Urban 46 33 20
White 27 53 20
Black 68 9 22
Other race 43 30 27
Total 38 41 21
15
Healthcare
What letter grade would you give the U.S. healthcare system?
A B C D F
Republican 8 35 38 11 8
Neither 4 23 38 23 12
Democrat 7 17 36 25 15
Male 8 31 36 17 9
Female 6 20 39 22 13
18 to 24 8 25 32 19 17
25 to 44 9 21 37 20 12
45 to 64 4 24 39 21 12
65+ 6 33 38 16 6
Rural 7 28 37 17 11
Suburban 7 22 37 20 13
Urban 5 24 37 23 12
Total 7 25 37 20 12
White 6 28 38 17 11
Black 6 18 39 28 10
Other race 11 22 32 18 17
Total 7 25 37 20 11
16
When it comes to paying for healthcare in the United States, should the government be more
involved, less involved or is the government involved about the right amount already?
More
involved
Less
involved
About
right
Republican 30 44 26
Neither 51 29 20
Democrat 75 11 14
Male 51 31 18
Female 54 25 21
18 to 24 59 25 16
25 to 44 56 25 19
45 to 64 50 31 19
65+ 45 30 25
Rural 48 30 22
Suburban 52 29 19
Urban 57 25 18
White 47 31 21
Black 65 19 15
Other race 57 24 19
Total 52 28 20
17
When it comes to healthcare, are you generally closer to the Democratic or Republican Party?
Democratic
Party
Republican
Party
Neither
Republican 6 87 7
Neither 24 18 58
Democrat 90 3 7
Male 37 41 22
Female 43 31 25
18 to 24 47 22 31
25 to 44 41 31 27
45 to 64 38 39 23
65+ 38 49 14
Rural 33 40 27
Suburban 37 38 24
Urban 50 30 20
White 31 46 23
Black 67 9 24
Other race 45 28 27
Total 40 36 24
18
COVID-19
Have you personally known someone who contracted coronavirus?
Yes No
Republican 29 71
Neither 30 70
Democrat 35 65
Male 29 71
Female 33 67
Total 31 69
18 to 24 38 62
25 to 44 32 68
45 to 64 34 66
65+ 21 79
Rural 30 70
Suburban 29 71
Urban 35 65
White 29 71
Black 37 63
Other race 38 62
Total 31 39
19
When it comes to K-12 public schools, North Carolina leaders are considering several options
for Fall 2020. Which of the following comes closest to what you think should happen in the fall:
• Students returning to school full-time, with precautions in place
• Students staying home part-time, to space them out in classrooms and buildings
• Students staying home full-time, with online learning”
Students
return full-
time
Students
stay home
part-time
Students
stay home
full-time
Has child or
grandchild
in K-12 32 38 30
No child or
grandchild
in K-12 34 38 28
Republican 46 33 21
Neither 31 40 28
Democrat 23 40 36
Male 37 35 28
Female 30 41 29
18 to 24 31 35 34
25 to 44 30 38 32
45 to 64 34 39 27
65+ 40 38 22
Rural 36 37 27
Suburban 36 36 28
Urban 30 40 30
White 37 38 25
Black 27 38 35
Other race 25 35 39
Total 34 38 29
20
How often do you wear a mask when you go into public buildings, such as grocery stores and
gas stations?
Never Sometimes About half
the time
Most of the
time
Always
Republican 18 18 9 19 36
Neither 12 17 9 20 42
Democrat 4 11 7 17 62
Male 13 16 9 23 39
Female 9 15 8 14 53
18 to 24 6 15 15 22 42
25 to 44 13 18 11 20 39
45 to 64 15 15 6 17 46
65+ 5 13 4 16 63
Rural 13 20 9 18 40
Suburban 12 13 11 19 45
Urban 8 12 6 19 54
White 14 16 7 18 45
Black 5 12 11 20 52
Other race 6 18 12 19 45
Total 11 15 8 18 46
21
Would you support or oppose the North Carolina state government requiring people to wear
masks in public?
Support Oppose
Republican 57 43
Neither 73 27
Democrat 91 9
Male 68 32
Female 79 21
18 to 24 77 23
25 to 44 71 29
45 to 64 72 28
65+ 78 22
Rural 71 29
Suburban 70 30
Urban 79 21
White 68 32
Black 85 15
Other race 84 16
Total 74 26
22
In your opinion, has social distancing helped to slow the spread of coronavirus in North
Carolina?
Yes Made no
difference
No
Republican 57 26 17
Neither 61 22 17
Democrat 69 16 15
Male 62 23 15
Female 63 20 18
18 to 24 53 27 21
25 to 44 57 25 17
45 to 64 68 17 16
65+ 69 19 13
Rural 60 21 19
Suburban 60 24 17
Urban 67 20 13
White 63 22 15
Black 56 22 22
Other race 71 15 14
Total 62 21 16
23
Overall, would you say the state of North Carolina’s rules and restrictions around coronavirus
have been too restrictive, not restrictive enough or about right?
Too
restrictive
Not
restrictive
enough
About right
Republican 35 35 30
Neither 21 43 36
Democrat 6 60 34
Male 26 42 32
Female 16 50 35
18 to 24 14 51 34
25 to 44 19 44 37
45 to 64 24 48 28
65+ 21 43 36
Rural 22 41 36
Suburban 22 45 33
Urban 18 52 30
White 25 42 33
Black 9 55 36
Other race 14 53 33
Total 21 46 33
24
How should major sporting events like college or professional basketball and football be held for
the rest of 2020?
As normal With
restrictions
No fans Not at all
Republican 22 39 24 15
Neither 10 41 27 21
Democrat 5 32 35 29
Male 16 37 27 20
Female 9 38 30 24
18 to 24 13 43 28 16
25 to 44 14 36 29 21
45 to 64 12 35 28 25
65+ 9 40 29 22
Rural 13 39 27 21
Suburban 14 34 30 22
Urban 10 38 29 23
White 14 37 30 20
Black 7 42 23 29
Other race 11 33 32 23
Total 12 37 29 22
25
What letter grade would you give Governor Roy Cooper for his handling of the coronavirus
pandemic in North Carolina?
A B C D F
Republican 9 25 23 17 25
Neither 13 32 30 14 11
Democrat 32 41 20 4 3
Male 18 32 24 12 14
Female 19 33 26 11 11
18 to 24 17 35 32 12 3
25 to 44 14 34 31 9 12
45 to 64 19 33 22 13 14
65+ 25 28 15 12 19
Rural 16 33 24 11 15
Suburban 20 30 24 13 13
Urban 19 34 26 10 11
White 15 31 23 14 17
Black 29 39 23 5 4
Other race 18 31 35 9 7
Total 18 33 25 11 13
26
What letter grade would you give President Donald Trump for his handling of the coronavirus
pandemic in the United States?
A B C D F
Republican 37 36 14 7 7
Neither 11 19 18 17 36
Democrat 2 6 8 12 72
Male 18 23 14 12 34
Female 15 18 12 11 44
18 to 24 13 10 16 20 41
25 to 44 13 21 15 13 37
45 to 64 17 22 12 9 40
65+ 23 23 9 8 38
Rural 20 25 13 12 30
Suburban 18 18 14 11 39
Urban 11 16 12 12 49
White 21 25 13 11 30
Black 5 5 13 13 64
Other race 10 19 12 13 46
Total 16 20 13 12 39
27
I’m worried about the impact of coronavirus on my personal financial situation.
Agree Disagree Not Sure
Republican 50 39 10
Neither 65 23 12
Democrat 62 26 12
Male 55 33 12
Female 63 27 11
18 to 24 61 28 11
25 to 44 64 25 11
45 to 64 63 27 9
65+ 42 42 15
Rural 55 36 9
Suburban 62 25 13
Urban 61 26 13
White 57 31 12
Black 63 28 9
Other race 64 24 12
Total 59 30 11
28
I’m worried about developing severe illness from coronavirus.
Agree Disagree Not Sure
Republican 38 48 13
Neither 51 32 17
Democrat 70 22 8
Male 47 41 12
Female 58 28 13
18 to 24 51 38 11
25 to 44 55 33 13
45 to 64 52 35 13
65+ 54 32 14
Rural 53 34 13
Suburban 52 34 14
Urban 54 35 12
White 50 37 13
Black 58 31 11
Other race 63 24 13
Total 53 34 13
29
I’m worried about spreading coronavirus to others.
Agree Disagree Not Sure
Republican 39 51 10
Neither 47 36 17
Democrat 62 28 10
Male 46 43 11
Female 53 34 13
18 to 24 56 34 10
25 to 44 53 36 12
45 to 64 48 40 12
65+ 42 43 15
Rural 47 39 13
Suburban 45 41 13
Urban 55 35 10
White 48 39 13
Black 50 38 12
Other race 59 33 8
Total 49 38 12
30
I’m worried about a family member developing severe illness from coronavirus.
Agree Disagree Not Sure
Republican 58 34 8
Neither 69 20 11
Democrat 80 12 8
Male 64 27 9
Female 74 17 9
18 to 24 66 24 10
25 to 44 69 22 9
45 to 64 70 21 9
65+ 71 21 8
Rural 70 22 8
Suburban 68 24 8
Urban 69 20 10
White 67 24 9
Black 71 17 11
Other race 76 16 7
Total 69 22 9
31
In the last two weeks, I’ve avoided going places and doing things I normally would because of
my concerns about coronavirus.
Agree Disagree Not Sure
Republican 52 45 3
Neither 57 36 7
Democrat 80 15 5
Male 56 38 6
Female 70 27 4
18 to 24 57 32 10
25 to 44 61 33 6
45 to 64 65 33 2
65+ 68 30 2
Rural 62 33 5
Suburban 63 32 5
Urban 64 32 4
White 59 37 4
Black 70 23 6
Other race 71 21 7
Total 63 32 5
32
I expect coronavirus cases to increase in the fall.
Agree Disagree Not Sure
Republican 54 21 25
Neither 61 14 25
Democrat 67 12 20
Male 58 18 24
Female 63 14 23
18 to 24 48 24 28
25 to 44 62 17 21
45 to 64 63 14 22
65+ 61 12 27
Rural 61 15 24
Suburban 60 16 25
Urban 61 17 22
White 62 14 23
Black 54 20 26
Other race 62 16 22
Total 61 16 24
33
In the last two weeks, I’ve avoided spending time with people I care about because of my
concerns about coronavirus.
Agree Disagree Not Sure
Republican 44 51 5
Neither 47 43 10
Democrat 64 30 6
Male 48 45 7
Female 55 37 7
18 to 24 47 38 15
25 to 44 49 41 9
45 to 64 54 42 4
65+ 54 41 5
Rural 52 42 6
Suburban 51 40 8
Urban 51 41 8
White 48 45 7
Black 59 34 7
Other race 59 32 9
Total 52 41 7
34
I am less likely to go on vacation this summer because of coronavirus.
Agree Disagree Not Sure
Republican 57 35 8
Neither 62 24 14
Democrat 79 14 7
Male 62 28 10
Female 70 20 9
18 to 24 62 24 14
25 to 44 63 26 11
45 to 64 68 24 8
65+ 73 20 7
Rural 66 25 10
Suburban 63 26 10
Urban 70 22 9
White 64 26 10
Black 73 17 9
Other race 67 25 8
Total 66 24 9
35
Methodological Information
Mode: Online
Population: N.C. Residents, ages 18+
Dates in the field: June 24-25, 2020
Sample Size: 1,410
Credibility Interval +/- 2.74 %
Weighting Variables (NC): Age, Gender, Race, Hispanic, Education, County Density
Procedure
The Elon University Poll used an online sample provided by Lucid, LLC. Respondents were
recruited for this sample from many sample providers in the Lucid marketplace and received
small amounts of compensation in exchange for their opinions. The survey was not an open-
linked posted on social media, but rather was by direct invitation to a very large national pool of
people who agree to take online surveys. More information about the Lucid marketplace and
quality tests are available here. Quotas on race, Hispanic ethnicity, sex, and age were applied
prior to online survey commencement.
Online interviews were included in the final dataset if respondents spent a minimum length of
time on the interview and particular sections, and if a respondent progressed through the entire
survey. Open-ended online responses were individually inspected by the poll directors, who then
deleted thirteen cases that were invalid. Respondents were recruited to the survey with a generic
description about coronavirus.
Credibility Interval
Unlike a traditional random digit-dial telephone survey, online surveys do not have traditional
margin of errors. Nonprobability quota samples like these do not adhere to assumptions of
random selection. To account for uncertainty inherent in any sample-based research design, we
provide a credibility interval. More information about this technique can be found here. The
credibility interval was calculated by inflating traditional confidence intervals by a design effect
calculated using the squared sum of weights. For this North Carolina sample, this means: (1.05 *
2.61= 2.7). We round these values up for presentation of results. As with all surveys, Total
survey error often exceeds sampling error.
Support for Transparency
The Elon University Poll supports transparency in survey research and is a charter member of the
American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative, which is a program
promoting openness and transparency about survey research methods and operations among
survey research professionals and the industry. All information about the Elon University Poll
that we release to the public conforms to reporting conventions recommended by the American
Association for Public Opinion Research and the National Council on Public Polls.
36
Weighting Information
Weights were generated in Stata using a technique known as iterative proportional fitting, also
known as raking. Population values were obtained from the U.S. Census. The weight variable
was calculated based on the variables in the table below.
Population
%
Unweighted
%
Weighted
%
18-29 13 10 13
30-44 34 35 34
45-64 34 36 34
65+ 20 19 20
Male 48 45 48
Female 52 55 52
White 67 67 67
Black 21 19 21
Other 12 14 12
Hispanic 9 7 9
Not Hispanic 91 93 91
< Bachelor’s 70 60 70
Bachelor’s or more 30 40 30
Rural County 39 38 39
Suburban 25 25 25
Urban 36 37 36
37
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who pays for the Elon University Poll?
Elon University fully funds the Elon University Poll. The poll operates under the auspices of
the College of Arts and Sciences at Elon University, led by Dean Gabie Smith. The Elon
University administration, led by Dr. Connie Ledoux Book, president of the university, fully
supports the Elon University Poll as part of its service to the community. Because of this
generous support, the Elon University Poll does not engage in any contract work. This
permits the Elon University Poll to operate as a neutral, non-biased, non-partisan resource.
2. Does the Elon University Poll favor a certain party?
The Elon University Poll is an academic, non-partisan survey research organization. We do
not engage or work with any political candidates or parties. We employ best practices to
ensure the results are not biased.
3. Did you weight the data?
Yes. We apply weights to the data. For this survey, we generated results using raking based
on U.S. Census data. For more details, see the Weighting Information above.
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of online surveys over traditional random-
digital dial surveys?
Traditional telephone surveys have a clear advantage over online surveys such as this in that
assumptions of equal probability of selection are more appropriate. Furthermore, online
surveys do not capture opinions of respondents who lack internet access.
However, our opinion is that declining telephone response rates and the growth in online
sample pool sizes have narrowed quality differences between the two modes. In the case of
this survey, we hoped to capture opinions related to a breaking news item. An online survey
enabled us to quickly gather a large enough sample size to make inferences about the U.S.
population. Additionally, like many college students, our student survey interviewers are not
on campus at this time.
Additional information about opt-in surveys in general is available from AAPOR and the
Pew Research Center.
38
About The Elon University Poll
The Elon University Poll conducts statewide, regional, and national surveys on issues of
importance to North Carolinians as well as other states. Information from these polls is shared
with media, citizens and public officials to facilitate informed public policy making through the
better understanding of citizens’ opinions and attitudes.
Jason Husser is Director of the Elon University Poll and Associate
Professor of Political Science & Policy Studies at Elon University. Dr.
Husser holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Vanderbilt University.
He researches American political behavior and survey methodology.
Kaye Usry is Assistant Director of the Elon University Poll and
Assistant Professor of Political Science & Policy Studies at Elon
University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign. Her research interests are in American politics
and political psychology.
Owen Covington is Director of the Elon University News Bureau. A
native North Carolinian, Owen Covington joined the staff of Elon
University in 2016 after spending 17 years in the field of journalism as
a reporter and editor for daily and weekly news outlets in North
Carolina and Kentucky. As director of the Elon University News
Bureau, Covington oversees the promotion of Elon and its students,
faculty and staff both through stories told across Elon's media
channels as well as through interactions with state, national and
international media. He is involved in media relations, including
responding to requests from print, digital and broadcast media outlets,
and works to promote content generated by a variety of Elon news
sources.
For more information on the Elon University Poll, visit elon.edu/elonpoll
If you have specific questions about this poll, you can reach the directors of the poll via email
(jhusser at elon dot edu & kusry at elon dot edu).
Follow us on Twitter @elonpoll